Getting the best out of servo skulls

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**Kholzerino**

Considering using Servo Skulls to Alpha Strike with blast heavy Guard army. Any suggestions for tactics for placement of them to avoid them getting removed by enemy if they get first turn?

**Thimn**

Place them 13" from the enemy deployment line, then the foe will at least have to run to make them disappear (assuming they aren't a fast unit)

**Talore**

It isn't always easy, but try to anticipate where the opponent will be moving models you want to target with your blast weaponry, and go from there. I think this would typically involve choke points, and mid-field objectives.

**Kholzerino**

Good advice guys. Thanks.

**labmouse42**

Even if they are removed, is it really that bad? Your betting 9 points on an awesome alpha strike. I'd throw that down any day of the week.

**Kirasu**

Yeah you don't need much strategy or tactics to use servo skulls.. Just plop them down next to the opponent and hit them with blast weapons and/or negate scouts. It's only 9 pts.

**Homeskillet**

The skulls are indeed cheap, but I use them and I'm fairly careful with my deployment of them. Not because I'm scared to use them, but I've found that people tend to go chasing after them just to be rid of them. I therefore try to either make them difficult to get to, or put them out in the open where a squishy unit who catches it will be caught in the open. Just because they're cheap doesn't mean you can't squeeze as many tactical benefits as possible out of them!

**Desubot**

Probably 6.1 inches away from the enemy DZ if you want to be aggressive. 13 for a more defensive stance.

near an objective is also great.

**ansacs**

Try to put them 6.1" from the opponent's maximum move if you want the scatter reduction. You can also place them either in terrain to slow the opponent who catches them or out in the open to pound them. If you don't need the anti scout then try placing one the opponent can catch out in the open and another behind it to reduce scatter. It can be devastating if done right.

**Useless Sidekick**

If they have an adl put them 11" away. They have to take a difficult terrain test to get over the adl and need a 6 to remove it. If they dont move you can pie plate them if they do move they are out in the open and might still not get to remove it. I place mine in triangles so that they overlap each other usually 8-9" apart

**knas ser**

All this for 9 points for any Imperial army.

*shakes fist in general direction of Nottingham*

**Thatguyoverthere11**

I play Tyranids and, though I've never come across these, when GK came out I wondered if I could drop spore mines on them and pop them before the game starts to sneak in my 'stealers.

Is this legit? Skulls are placed after table sides are picked but before any forces are deployed. Mines deep strike in after deployment sides are picked.

**Homeskillet**

The skulls only stop infiltrators and scouts. They don't effect enemy deep striking, so I'd think you'd be fine.

**Beverley B/A**

Is there any restrictions on which chapters can use them

**Desubot**

Beverley B/A wrote:
Is there any restrictions on which chapters can use them

It states Friendlies so anyone that is BBBFFs. (Battle brothers best friends forever)

But i suppose convenience and desperate allies will pop them as well

**Thatguyoverthere11**

Thatguyoverthere11 wrote:
I play Tyranids and, though I've never come across these, when GK came out I wondered if I could drop spore mines on them and pop them before the game starts to sneak in my 'stealers.

Is this legit? Skulls are placed after table sides are picked but before any forces are deployed. Mines deep strike in after deployment sides are picked.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that I want to deep strike my mines in before deployment to pop a skull and then when it comes time to infiltrate, place my stealers in the vacated 'skull zone' that was originally closed off from infiltrating. Is this a valid tactic and do the rules support this?

**Homeskillet**

I don't have my nid book handy. When does your book tell you that mines drop in? If it's before Infiltrators, then I'd say you're good. If after, no.

**Ricter**

You have to move within 6" to pop the Servo-skull, and I'm not sure DS'ing counts.

**knas ser**

Ricter wrote:
You have to move within 6" to pop the Servo-skull, and I'm not sure DS'ing counts.

I would think only a very petty and legalistic player would attempt to argue that it doesn't. But even if you play such a person, the DS rules say "In the movement phase in which they arrive, deep striking models may not move any further other than to disembark from a deep striking transport". Ergo, even excepting any disembarkation, a DS'ing model has moved. If they have mived, then what they must have done was movement. Ergo, works against Servo Skulls. DS also 'counts has having moved' later on in the same section.

Finally, you shoild whack your opponent in the head with the rulebook for being so against the spirit of the rules to even try this.

**Thatguyoverthere11**

Homeskillet wrote:
I don't have my nid book handy. When does your book tell you that mines drop in? If it's before Infiltrators, then I'd say you're good. If after, no.

"Spore mines are always deployed in the following manner. After both sides have selected their deployment zone, but before any units are deployed, all of your Spore Mine Clusters must Deep Strike onto the board. If any scatter off the board or into impassable terrain the entire cluster is destroyed as described in the 1-2 result on the Deep Strike Mishap table. After they have landed, the Spore Mines in the cluster are then treated as individual Spore Mines as described in the Living Bomb rule."

And as for order of operations, it goes servo skulls then spore mines. Servo skulls are placed after table sides are chosen but before any forces are deployed. Spore mines are deployed before either side deploys any units.

**Fragile**

Yes, spore mines will pop the servo skulls. Although unless you already play with the spore mines, they are not a very attractive choice, YMMV.

**Thatguyoverthere11**

I take them, 30 points to drop in three behind my opponents aegis def line is fun. It really messes with tau players

Automatically Appended Next Post:
Of course, I agree this is only useful if you're taking genestealers. Nothing else scouts or infiltrates in the codex.

**Ricter**

knas ser wrote:
Ricter wrote:
You have to move within 6" to pop the Servo-skull, and I'm not sure DS'ing counts.

I would think only a very petty and legalistic player would attempt to argue that it doesn't. But even if you play such a person, the DS rules say "In the movement phase in which they arrive, deep striking models may not move any further other than to disembark from a deep striking transport". Ergo, even excepting any disembarkation, a DS'ing model has moved. If they have mived, then what they must have done was movement. Ergo, works against Servo Skulls. DS also 'counts has having moved' later on in the same section.

Finally, you shoild whack your opponent in the head with the rulebook for being so against the spirit of the rules to even try this.

If you have to resort to childish attacks, your argument probably isn't as strong as you like to think(no matter your assurances that only you know the spirit of the rules). Regardless, my point was that DS rules are very murky and hotly debated, and I believe part of that was whether or not it counted as movement. That's a thread for ymdc, though.

**Homeskillet**

Thatguyoverthere11 wrote:
Homeskillet wrote:
I don't have my nid book handy. When does your book tell you that mines drop in? If it's before Infiltrators, then I'd say you're good. If after, no.

"Spore mines are always deployed in the following manner. After both sides have selected their deployment zone, but before any units are deployed, all of your Spore Mine Clusters must Deep Strike onto the board. If any scatter off the board or into impassable terrain the entire cluster is destroyed as described in the 1-2 result on the Deep Strike Mishap table. After they have landed, the Spore Mines in the cluster are then treated as individual Spore Mines as described in the Living Bomb rule."

And as for order of operations, it goes servo skulls then spore mines. Servo skulls are placed after table sides are chosen but before any forces are deployed. Spore mines are deployed before either side deploys any units.

Definitely sounds to me like the mines would get rid of the servo skulls. At least, if you were playing against me, that's how I'd interpret it.

**knas ser**

Ricter wrote:
knas ser wrote:
Ricter wrote:
You have to move within 6" to pop the Servo-skull, and I'm not sure DS'ing counts.

I would think only a very petty and legalistic player would attempt to argue that it doesn't. But even if you play such a person, the DS rules say "In the movement phase in which they arrive, deep striking models may not move any further other than to disembark from a deep striking transport". Ergo, even excepting any disembarkation, a DS'ing model has moved. If they have mived, then what they must have done was movement. Ergo, works against Servo Skulls. DS also 'counts has having moved' later on in the same section.

Finally, you shoild whack your opponent in the head with the rulebook for being so against the spirit of the rules to even try this.

If you have to resort to childish attacks, your argument probably isn't as strong as you like to think(no matter your assurances that only you know the spirit of the rules). Regardless, my point was that DS rules are very murky and hotly debated, and I believe part of that was whether or not it counted as movement. That's a thread for ymdc, though.

Okay. Firstly I was saying a hypothetical player who tried to pull this would have to be very petty and legalistic. I didn't realize that you yourself were actually putting forward such an argument. Secondly I didn't make an argument dependent on 'childish attacks' or on my knowing the spirit of the rules better than everyone else - my argument itself was based in the rules and backed up with a couple of very solid quotes typed up from the book.

**kevhplus9**

Would servo skulls help with thunderfire cannons? Or would the fact that their allies of convenience mean that the thunderfires would scatter the 2 d6?

**dadakkaest**

The inquisitor and his detachment would be BB with SM. So the Servo-Skulls would work with TFC.

**Homeskillet**

I think even if you were using GK servo skulls instead of Inquisition skulls, they should work with the TFC. The codex says "friendly" templates scatter one D6 less, makes no specific mention of Grey Knight templates. I don't recall an FAQ specifying they only work with GK units either.

**kevhplus9**

But Grey Knights are only allies of convenience with normal marines so technically thunderfire cannons wouldn't be friendly.

**Jimsolo**

Homeskillet wrote:
I think even if you were using GK servo skulls instead of Inquisition skulls, they should work with the TFC. The codex says "friendly" templates scatter one D6 less, makes no specific mention of Grey Knight templates. I don't recall an FAQ specifying they only work with GK units either.

The problem is that NO army is 'friendly' with Grey Knights, since they have no battle brothers. All their allies (save for Inquisition, now) are Allies of Convenience or worse.